1. Field of the Invention
This patent relates to packaging for large appliances. More particularly, this patent relates to a Clearview packaging assembly for basiloid handling of appliances with irregular top surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Large household appliances with irregular shapes, such as washers and dryers, traditionally have been packaged in large six-sided corrugated boxes. Such boxes protect the appliance from damage during shipping and handling and may be moved with the use of a standard forklift truck. The boxed appliances may be stacked if sufficient structural support is provided. This may be accomplished by inserting vertical support posts inside the corrugated box between the box interior walls and the appliance. Support posts may be positioned around the corners of the appliance and/or along the sides of the appliance. When packaged in a corrugated box of this type, the appliance is not visible.
See-through containers for large appliances have been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,891,086, 4,811,840 and 5,307,928. These proposed see-through containers generally comprise top and bottom caps, corner support posts extending between the top and bottom caps, and heavy plastic see-through wrapping. The top and bottom caps may be secured to the support posts with horizontal retaining bands, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,891,086, or vertical retaining bands, as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,307,928. When packaged in this way the appliances can be moved with standard fork lift trucks or with basiloid lift trucks.
A basiloid lift truck lifts an appliance container by the top cap instead of by the bottom of the container. Basiloid lift trucks have a vertically oriented lift blade extending from an upper frame that is secured to an elevator mechanism mounted on the front end of the lift truck. To lift an appliance having a top cap, the vertical blade is placed in flat contact with the side of the packaged appliance. As the elevator mechanism raises the lift blade, the top edge of the blade extends into the crease between the side of the package and the downwardly extending lip of the top cap. The lift blade is raised until a horizontal lifting bar mounted on the blade abuts the bottom edge of the top cap lip. The appliance can then be lifted off the floor by the elevator mechanism and moved. The lift blade must be slightly shorter than the top cap lip so that the blade does not pierce the top cap.
If the package is built properly, the force of the blade lifting at the top of the unit is transferred to the bottom of the unit. No significant force is applied to the front edge of the top cap opposite the basiloid blade. However, when a second packaged appliance is placed on top of the first unit, the weight of the top unit, since it is not all on top of the basiloid flap, tends to shift forward. As the weight of the top unit shifts forward, the front edge of the bottom unit top cap deflects downwardly, a phenomenon referred to as trapezoiding. As the front edge of the bottom unit deflects downwardly, the top unit tips forward and can fall off. The front edge of the top cap can deflect up to six inches or more, depending on the vertical space between the front edge of the top cap and the top surface of the irregular shaped appliance.
One method for preventing trapezoiding of packages containing irregular shaped appliances is to use a standoff made of a resilient material such as expanded polystyrene to take up the space between the top cap and the appliance top surface, thereby transferring the force from the top appliance directly to the top surface of the bottom appliance. However, standoffs waste material and put extra undue force on the bottom of the bottom package.
Thus it is an object of the present invention to provide a see-through packaging assembly that maintains its structural integrity during basiloid lifting and handling.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging assembly for irregular shaped appliances that resists trapezoiding during basiloid lifting with a second unit on top.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a packaging assembly having an integral basiloid flap formed by the cooperation of the top cap and a separate basiloid piece.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a clamshell-type packaging assembly that can be easily installed over an appliance mounted on a base pad.
Further and additional objects will appear from the description, accompanying drawings, and appended claims.
The present invention is a packaging assembly for an irregular top appliance, that is, an appliance having a relatively flat top surface and a raised portion extending above the top surface, typically in the rear. The packaging assembly comprises a clamshell-like framework that is glued together prior to installing it over the appliance, and a transparent polymer film wrapped tightly around the framework after it has been installed over the appliance.
The clamshell-like framework is made from a corrugated top cap, front and rear corner posts, two bottom pieces and a basiloid piece. The top cap has a large flat top panel, substantially triangular shaped side panels extending downward from opposite sides of the top panel, and a rear flap separated from the top panel by a fold line that functions as the clamshell hinge. The two front corner posts are glued to the triangular shaped side panels. The lower ends of the two front corner posts may be glued to one of the bottom pieces to form one half of the clamshell.
The basiloid piece has a rear panel and a basiloid flap separated by a fold line. The top cap rear flap and the basiloid flap are glued together to form a basiloid handling flange which facilitates lifting and moving of the packaging assembly with the appliance contained therein by a basiloid fork lift truck. The two rear corner posts are glued along their upper ends to the basiloid piece rear panel and along their lower ends to the second bottom piece to form the other half of the clamshell.
The clamshell framework can be easily installed over an appliance mounted on a base pad. The framework and appliance, except for the basiloid flap, is wrapped in a transparent polymer wrapping material, leaving much of the appliance visible. The basiloid flap is retained by a horizontal retaining band to from the completed structure.
With conventional see-through packages, the downward force caused by a second unit stacked on top during basiloid lifting can cause the front edge of the bottom unit top cap to deflect downward, a phenomenon referred to as trapezoiding. This deflection can continue until the front edge of the top cap meets the top surface of the bottom appliance, causing the top appliance to tip forward.
The present invention prevents such trapezoiding by providing substantially triangular-shaped side panels glued to the front corner posts. The front corner posts abut the front vertical corners of the appliance. During basiloid lifting of two stacked appliances, the downward force from the top unit to the front edge of the top cap is transferred to the front corner posts and then to the front vertical corners of the appliance. The front vertical corners prevent the corner posts and top cap from rotating about the clamshell hinge, thereby preventing the trapezoiding associated with conventional see-through appliance packages.
The front corner posts serve as an extension of the triangle defined by the top cap sidewalls, and serve to spread the force created by the top unit during basiloid lifting to an area along the entire front vertical edges of the bottom appliance. If the front corner posts are not glued to the top cap, the top cap could slide downward along the front corner posts, resulting in trapezoiding.